


party tattoos

by Hazazel



Series: all these shades of black [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, M/M, Other, this isn't halloween but please bear with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 16:49:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazazel/pseuds/Hazazel
Summary: The people dancing in front of them probably make up half of the magical population of Tokyo, the other one being too neat and tidy to stoop to partying on a holiday. Suga recognises some scents – Kuroo is here with Daichi, Shimizu is there too – but most of the people here are new faces. Has Akaashi been a recluse for so long he’s become out of touch with all the new witches ? Or has he just been so isolated, so hurt, that he purposefully didn’t seek out company ? They haven’t seen anyone since Kei reappeared, which was… four months ago, god, it really has been a while.





	party tattoos

Akaashi is holding onto him too hard, but Suga doesn’t mind. The atmosphere is unlike anything he’s ever seen, but it’s not their first time partying on Samhain. They haven’t done it in a while though, and it shows in Akaashi’s hesitant steps towards the buffet.

“I’m so glad you could come !” Yukie says. “It’s good you’re not shutting yourself off, you gotta laugh a little, man !”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Akaashi answers, his voice already tired. “I’ll just… I’ll try to find Konoha.”

“He’s not here yet, don’t expect him any sooner than 1 am.”

“Oh…” Akaashi looks at his feet, and his grip on Suga tightens once more. “I’ll get something to eat.”

“Do that !” Yukie says, cheerful. “You need some meat on those bones, dude, it’s like you’ve almost stopped eating.”

She doesn’t know that he has, and wouldn’t eat at all without Suga’s constant reminders that he is still made of flesh. Someone with a blond undercut hands him a plate of chips, and Akaashi reluctantly lets go of Suga to grab it, eating chips one after the other like an automaton. The music is too loud, but it’s nice to hear something other than the deafening silence of their flat.

The people dancing in front of them probably make up half of the magical population of Tokyo, the other one being too neat and tidy to stoop to partying on a holiday. Suga recognises some scents – Kuroo is here with Daichi, Shimizu is there too – but most of the people here are new faces. Has Akaashi been a recluse for so long he’s become out of touch with all the new witches ? Or has he just been so isolated, so hurt, that he purposefully didn’t seek out company ? They haven’t seen anyone since Kei reappeared, which was… four months ago, god, it really has been a while.

“Look, look, I found the prettiest one !” someone says with a ruthless smile. “What’s your name, pretty boy ?” Suga hisses before the vampire can make contact with Akaashi’s protective charms, but he doesn’t seem deterred, and he laughs harder when the sparks push his hands off. “Oh oh, pretty _and_ dangerous !”

“Leave him be,” Kuroo says, appearing from nowhere, “why don’t you take on someone you can handle, Yuu ?”

Thankfully, the vampires steer clear from Kuroo – is it his grin or his huge protective crown, almost hidden by all his messy hair ? Anyway, Suga is glad they found someone they know. A party is always less fun when you’re alone, but he knows Akaashi wouldn’t have spent the night out if Kenma hadn’t said they had plans.

“I have someone you should meet,” Kuroo’s eyes glimmer, “I’m sure you two will click.” He catches Akaashi’s hand in his, and leads them away from the main room. “They’re a white-tone, so, uh, be careful ? I’m not sure how they’d react to magic if it jumped in their face.”

“You brought a white-tone to a Samhain celebration ?” Suga and Akaashi hiss simultaneously. “What the fuck,” Suga says, and Akaashi adds, “ that’s a whole new level of stupidity… pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san.”

“They’ve been telling me they wanna go grey for a while, so I just… kickstarted them in, y’know. It’ll be ok, they’re sharp as heck.”

“You can’t swear but you’re still fucking things up,” Suga remarks, and Akaashi lightly taps his scales to remind him to lay low. People aren’t supposed to know how much leeway he gets when Akaashi’s decisions are involved, everyone is better off thinking Suga is just the domesticated familiar he was meant to be.

“Ok, they’re here,” Kuroo points a corner of the room, where someone is sitting down, holding a PSP with too-white knuckles. “Oi, Kenma, I brought a friend.”

“Ken-” Akaashi starts, brows furrowed, and he stops short when they raise their head.

“Oh,” Kenma says, “Kuro, what the fuck.”

“You two know each other ?” Akaashi spats, anger seeping through his usually calm voice. “You’re willingly putting your-”

“Best friend since childhood,” Kuroo says, “who knows exactly what’s up, in a Samhain party ? Yeah, they can have fun too.”

Kenma looks like they are about to say something, but their mouth tightens in a thin line and they look at their feet, avoiding Akaashi’s searching eyes. Suga notices the protection charms braided in their hair, and the good luck pendant dangling from their PSP. At least, they haven’t come here naked – Suga feels like there’s more than trinkets protecting Kenma from the mayhem of Samhain. Akaashi seems to have lost all his words, so Suga takes it upon himself to speak. “Hello, Kenma. It’s nice to properly meet you.”

“I knew you could talk,” Kenma says instead of greeting him back. “I figured Akaashi would tell me sooner or later.”

“I wouldn’t have,” Akaashi says softly, “I would never put you through this. Kuroo-san, what the hell did you have in mind bringing them here ?”

“I asked,” Kenma answers. “You wouldn’t tell me anything. I know what I saw when I interrupted you that day, I knew something was up. I knew all along and you didn’t trust me enough to-”

“That’s not it !” Akaashi sighs, and nervously slicks Suga’s scales into place. “What we do, who we know, it’s just – it’s another world entirely, and it’s not safe.”

Kenma doesn’t raise their eyes from the ground but they speak with determination. “I know what I’m getting into. I’ve known Kuro for ages, and if his dumb ass can do it, I’ll be fine.”

Suga knows, in this moment, that Akaashi would swear upon his life to keep them safe, that he would do anything in his power to make sure nothing would ever harm Kenma, and it’s reassuring to know that fire still burns in him. That’s what he needs – someone to love and support, someone to make him forget the demonic abomination that haunted his daydreams for so long.

The vampire from before stumbles loudly in the room, interrupting Suga’s train of thought. He is joined at the mouth with another vampire from his clan, and he only pauses long enough to notice them, lick his blood-stained lips, and fall down on the bed. Kuroo takes it as his clue to leave, and Kenma awkwardly stands up to follow, stopping when they notice Akaashi hasn’t moved.

“Akaashi, we should leave,” Suga whispers in his ear as the dark energy rising from the bed makes their defense charms crackle.

“Oh, yes,” he answers distractedly. Kenma has to take his hand and lead him away for Akaashi to shake himself awake, and he grabs at Kenma harder. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Let’s leave, then,” Kenma says. “It’s not like I enjoy parties. I only came here to meet you.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Akaashi softly says. “It’s not your world.”

“Is it yours ?”

“It has been,” and Akaashi sounds wistful as he looks past the crowd. They barely reach the living room before someone stops them. It has large antlers that almost get caught in the doorframe, and its legs end in hooves. All around its torso is a stole or red fur, and Suga belatedly realises it is in fact a small feline. The creature blinks twice, horizontal pupils never leaving Kenma, before it drops the feline in their hands. Kenma barely misses, but the feline seems happy enough with its new master, and it purrs happily.

“Give him a name,” the creature says, “and he’ll be yours.”

“Apple,” Kenma says, and the feline purrs harder. “Do you want something in ex-”

No, no, this is why Akaashi didn’t want Kenma in here – a deal with the Gentry is a sword on your neck when you’re not experimented, which Kenma certainly is.

“They thank you for the gift,” Akaashi cuts in, “and they wish you a prosper year. We’ll depart with your best wishes, I hope.”

Suga sighs in relief, and the creature narrows its eyes, but lets them go. The living room is packed, and funnily enough, most of its occupants are of the Dead. The forest god they just walked past is only one of many here, and though this holiday is not from the Japanese calendar, they seem to find it as rejuvenating as the humans partying among them. Suga catches Kiyoko’s eye, her crow familiar on her shoulder and her hair braided, and they both nod.

“Careful !” someone says, and immediately after, a small tanuki crashes into them with a poof. Then, a tengu falls too, dragging them all down. On the ground lays a small boy with orange hair, legs tangled in Akaashi’s, and another with a dusting of ink-black feathers as hair, almost sitting on top of Kenma. Suga was propelled to the ground by the strength of their impact, and Akaashi looks worse for wear – that’s sure to bruise. The tanuki looks up at Kenma, sees the handheld in their hands, and lets out a loud “I play on that too ! Haven’t had that much fun in a while. Aren’t humans wonderful ? Right, Bakageyama ?”

“Get up, you dumbass,” the tengu says angrily.

“Right right. Take this,” the tanuki says to Kenma, “I’d love to chat.”

Suga slithers up to them and inspects the taglock, a simple piece of wood with some of the tanuki’s fur wrapped around it, and allows Kenma to take it. He doesn’t seem to have malicious intent, and having friends from the Others is always a plus.

The two boys scramble up their feet and leave, still arguing, oblivious of the dumbfounded human they just collided with. Akaashi seems torn once again between fear and relief, but he gets up and helps Kenma get back on their feet. Yukie chooses this moment to harp on Akaashi, grabbing his arm and talking excitedly. “You’ll never believed what just happened ! Kiyoko congratulated me on the party ! The Witch herself !”

“Is she famous ?” Kenma asks once Yukie is gone, lost one more among the crowd. “I think I heard Kuro talk about her.”

“Oh, yeah, she is,” Akaashi answers. The truth is, it’s more than just fame – Shimizu is the most talented witch this town has seen in a while, and her beauty is only matched by her talent for divination. “Why did Kuroo talk about her, though ? Has he been introducing you to the Otherworld for long ?”

“You’ll never believe it,” Kenma says softly, with a fearless smile, “I introduced him to it. When we were kids – I was the magic-obsessed one. He just happened to have worse luck than me.”

The vampires from before are back, and they walk past them to get back to the party. The moon is still almost full, so their glamour is at its lowest, barely concealing their fangs and the pasty colour of their skin. Akaashi dislikes vampires – a personal strife, born from past experiences, but he still smiles politely when the oldest of them, with dyed blond hair, turns her toothy grin to him. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…

And your lovers at arm’s length. Akaashi must have thought about it too, because his cheeks darken – Kenma takes notice, and smiles discreetly. They’re not trying to get out of the flat anymore, and they’re looking at the guests with masked interest. There are a few tengu, probably from the same clan as the boy from earlier, as well as a few tanuki. There are some vampires and a yuki-onna chatting in a corner, a mix of old and new arrivals to the country, and Suga can smell their cold scent from the other side of the room.

“Maybe we should leave,” Akaashi ends up saying, “it’s getting late.”

“Stop this,” Kenma says, “I’m not fragile.” They square their hunched-up shoulders, but they add, “I’d still like to go, though.”

They stick out their hand for Akaashi to grab, and it takes him a few seconds to react. From his place on Akaashi’s shoulders, Suga whispers, “Don’t be afraid.” He feels Akaashi square up under him, and he tightens his coils to show his support.

The walk to Akaashi’s apartment is quiet, but they’re still holding hands, and Suga has it in him to hope the night won’t end badly. At least, Kenma is here. The building is silent as they enter, the stairs don’t even creak, the keys don’t jingle. Akaashi doesn’t turn on the lights, turning instead to his candle cupboard to fetch the largest one. It gives a dim glow in the dark room, just enough to see the blackened floorboards – the charcoal circle won’t come off, no matter how hard Akaashi scrubs.

“I haven’t been here in a while,” Kenma says, eying the burn marks. “What happened ?”

Suga can hear it in their voice – what happened here, what happened to us ? Why did you almost disappear for a year, when we had just kissed ? Is it my fault ?

“It’s not you,” Akaashi says, wringing his hands, “it’s not you. It’s…”

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to.” Kenma looks up then, staring at Akaashi from under their fringe. “You can tell me, if it’s something I did. I just don’t want to be left out anymore.”

“Would you believe me if I said I was contacting a demon to get news from Kei ?”

“Kei ? How – how is he ?”

Suga can feel Akaashi tense under him. “Later. Akaashi will tell you later.” He slithers down to the floor, and sneaks inside a pillowcase – a makeshift bed crumbled up on the heater. Akaashi and Kenma deserve privacy, and that’s what he’ll give them.

 

* * *

 

Suga waits until the sun is high in the sky to get out of his nest. Akaashi and Kenma are still asleep, having talked until the sunrise, and Suga can see a collar of bruises peeking under Akaashi’s shirt. He remembers what Kei used to say – “We’re not bruised, they’re just party tattoos, stop worrying about the fact that we don’t have a coat on”.

They look so peaceful, and Suga dares to hope things will go alright this time.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the song [party tattoos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtISvgf2Aw&t=138s) from dodie ! I hope you enjoy, please don't forget to leave comments and kudos, they're what helps getting these written.


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